Sunday, April 24, 2011

Purely for Children

Jane Merisho is amazing. She has quite the life story. She married Eric when she was 2o something and they have been very in love for the whole time. Something that I find rare around the community that I am residing in. They met at church and have been in love ever since. Two children later they are on their third child. Jane is due in August. How amazing is this. She is thirty eighty years old. Church is her other place besides school. Prayer is important in her life and you can see her praying at 1 am, 3 am etc. You may think this is rediculous, but it is something she likes and I will defend her as though she is my family. Gold is color of her heart. Out of her way is what she does endlessly for these children. Recently we had a mother come to the house in panic as her drunk husband threatened to beat her. Jane sat her down, talked to her, and gave her a bed to sleep in. She is selfless everyday.

Recently we have been doing Tusion, which is extra curricular academics. It is revision of exams. Jane is doing this for no money. How great is that? This is what she told me today "Rosie,, Im doing this for free. I have children who haven't payed since last year and I won't kick them out of this school. I can't. I'm doing this for the children. I don't care about the money. I don't need the money."

The experiences here are rich for me. Please note this might be a place I express myself. Not just a blog, so if you don't mind my thoughts, then keep reading.

If anything I've learned that it's important to have some humor when your traveling. Kenyans laugh at everything. OK, maybe not everything. But, it's easy for me to get hurt. You literally say in your head "What the hell am I doing here." When they laugh it is mostly rediculous. Things that we'd probably find offensive. Or there laughing get;s annoying. But, really this is a fascinating culture. It is common to have a few crappy days here and there.

Ewagan means light in the local language. I work at the Ewagan Junior School. This means that kids come to the light for knowledge.

Simmie my mom's friend is amazing. I just met her for dinner and it's nice to see an american after weeks of just me. Her daughter Cary and her are doing amazing things. Selfless as well. They are strong people. We had dinner at whistling thorns.

After seeing africa I know that I need to make small changes somewhere. Shall I sit on it for a while? Is it bad to start thinking about helping so early? I think that I already have. Ghana, India, Kenya.

It is easy to make friends. I have life friends: Jane, Sweetie (my doctor), my doctors patient Jayashree. They will always be in my heart.

1 comment:

Rosie, I just discovered your blog. It is fascinating and such a window on to your time there. It makes me want to go to Africa and India. I saw your mom the other day and everything is fine here. -- Annie